Grain-loading machine.



J. RIBRADEN.

GRAIN LOADING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 8,1908.

Patented June-21, 1910.

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J. R. BRADEN.

GRAIN LOADING MACHINE. APPLICATION II'LED PEB.8,1908.

962, 19% Patented June 21, 1910.

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APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 8,1908.

962,1 94.. Patented June 21, 1910.

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J. R.BRADEN.

GRAIN LOADING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 8,1908.

962,194. 7 Patented June 21,1910.

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JOHN R. BRADEN, OF ROWAN, IOWA.

GRAIN-LOADING- MACHINE.

I To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN It. BRADEN, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and resident of Rowan, Wright county, Iowa, have invented a newand useful Grain-Loading Machine, of which the following is aspecification.

The object of this invention is to provide means for receiving shocks ofbound grain and elevate and deliver said shocks to a wagon.

A further object of this invention is to provide means for collectingfrom the ground bundles of bound grain and conveying said grainlaterally and upwardly to and deliver the same upon a wagon.

A further object of this invention is to provide means for adjusting thealtitude and inclination of a rake employed to collect bundles of boundgrain.

A further object of this invention is to provide means for adjusting thealtitude of a reel employed to collect bundles of bound grain.

A further object of this invention is to provide means for adjusting areel forward and rearward relative to a machine on which said reel ismounted.

A further object of this invention is to provide improved means forconjunctively driving a belt conveyer and a reel.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combinationof elements hereinafter set forth, pointed out in my claims andillustrated by the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a plan ofthe complete machine. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the completemachine. Fig. 3 is a left end elevation of the machine. Fig. 4 is aright end elevation of the machine. Fig. 5 is a detail elevation showingthe means employed to support and operate the rake teeth. Fig. 6 is adetail plan of a clutch connecting mechanism employed in the machine.Fig. 7 is a detail elevation, partly in section, of a mechanism employedto support one end of and drive the reel. Fig. 8 is a detail elevation,partly in section, of means for supporting the opposite ends of thereel.

In the construction of the machine as shown, the numeral 10 designates atraction wheel and the numeral 11 designates a supporting wheel. Amachine frame, indicated generally by the numeral 12, and of any desiredform or construction, is supported at Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 8, 1908.

Patented June 21, 1910.

Serial No. 415,237.

one end on an axle 13 in the traction wheel 10 and is supported at theopposite end on an axle let in the supporting; wheel 11. The main frame12 preferably is formed of a plurality of bars and tubes suitably shapedand connected and braced to carry the operating devices hereinafterdescribed and may be varied as desired for difi'erent sizes or styles ofmachine adapted to the performance of different work. A front bar 15 ofthe frame 12 is provided with journal bearings in which a rod 16 ismounted. The preferred construction of the bar 15 is shown in Fig. 5, inwhich it is made of pressed steel shaped on its forward face with anupper and lower row of concaved seats and provided with a cap plate 1.5shaped with an upper and lower row of concaved seats and adapted to bebolted to the bar, the seats conjunctively forming an upper and lowerrow of journal bearings. The rod 16 is mounted in the upper row ofjournal bearings. Rake teeth 17 are pivoted at their rearends on the rod16 and extend forward and downward from the bar 15 in such position thatin the advance of the machine the attenuated forward end portions ofsaid teeth travel in proximity to the surface of the ground. A crankshaft 18 is mounted for oscillation in the journal bearings formed bythe lowermost row of seats in the bar 15 and a plurality of cranks 18 onsaid shaft extend forward and upward from said bar. The forward ends ofthe cranks 18 are ournaled in the lower portions of collars 19 looselymounted on the rake teeth 17 and adapted to slide longitudinallythereof.

An apron, guide board or wing 20 is mounted on the frame 12 at andextending forward and rearward from the left end of the bar 15 and aspring 21 is mounted on said apron and is coiled about and fixed to theadjacent end portion of the crank shaft. It is the function of thespring 21 to balance the weight of the rake teeth and cranks 18 and tendto lift them. A crank 18 is formed on the inner end portion of the crankshaft 18 and is connected by a rod 22 to a lever 23 fulcrumed on theframe 12 within reach of an operator riding on a seat 24 carried by saidframe. The lever 23 is of conventional form and is provided with a semental rack and ratchet devices for holding the lever in any position inwhich it is manually adjusted. It is the function of the lever 23, rod22 and crank 18 to oscillate the crank shaft 18 and raise and lower 1the rake teeth 17 as said lever is operated manually, in order that therake teeth may pass beneath bundles of grain attimes or ride overobstructions or remain inoperative at other times. A belt conveyer 25 ismounted on suitable drums or driving devices arranged horizontally inand at right angles to and at the rear of the bar 15. One of the drumsor driving devices is carried by a shaft 26 mounted for rotation in theframe 12 at right angles to and adjacent the right end of the bar 15 andthe other drum may be an idler journaled in the frame 12 adjacent and atright angles to the outer end of the bar 15. Provision is thus made formounting the belt conveyer 25 in horizontal position at the rear of'andadjacent the rake teeth 17. A belt conveyer 27 is mounted in inclinedposition leading to the right and upwardly from the inner portion of thebelt conveyer 25, and communicating therewith. The belt conveyer 27extends around drums or driving devices mounted in the frame 12, one ofwhich driving devices is carried by a shaft 28 journaled in the frame 12adjacent to and parallel with the shaft 26 and connected thereto bysprocket gearing 29. The other drum may be an idler carried by a shaft30 at the extreme upper and right end of the machine. Thus provision ismade for mounting the elevating conveyer 27 in alinement andcommunication with the horizontal conveyer 25. The sprocket gearing 29is on the forward end portions of the shafts 26 and 28. A counter-shaft31 is mounted for rotation in the frame 12 at the rear of and parallelwith the axle 13 of the traction wheel 10 and a sprocketwheel 32 on theaxle 13 is connected by a chain 33 to a sprocket wheel 34 looselymounted on said counter-shaft and provided with a clutch member. Aclutch member 35 is feathered to the counter-shaft 31 and is adapted tobe moved longitudinally on said counter-shaft and controlled bymanually-operated clutch levers 36, 36 fulcrumed on the frame 12. Theclutch member 35 normally is pressed into engagement with the clutchmember on the sprocket wheel 34 by an expansive coil spring 37 on thecounter-shaft 31. A bevel gear 38 on the outer end portion of thecounter-shaft 31 meshes with a bevel gear 39 on a short shaft 40journaled in the frame 12. A sprocket wheel 41 is mounted on theopposite end portion of the short shaft 40 and is engaged by a sprocketchain 42 at the rear of the machine. The sprocket chain 42 extendsupward and inward and engages a sprocket wheel 43 on a short shaft 44 journaled in the frame 12 parallel with the shafts 40, 26, 28 and 30 andsaid chain extends from said sprocket wheel 43 downward and around andin engagement with sis 2,194

a sprocket wheel 45 on the rear end of the shaft 26. Thus is the motionof the traction wheel 10 communicated through the axle 13, sprocketwheel 32, chain 33, wheel 34, clutch member 35, counter-shaft 31, bevelgear 38, bevel gear 39, shaft 40, sprocket wheel 41, chain 42, sprocketwheel 43, shaft 44, and sprocket wheel 45 to the end of driving theshaft 26 in the desired direction. The shaft 26 drives the conveyer 25in the desired direction and by means of the sprocket gearing 29 drivesthe elevating conveyer 27 in the same direction. Provision is made forraising and lowering the frame 12 relative vices are shownconventionally and may I be of any well known form susceptible ofraising and lowering the bearings on the frame relative to the axles andI do not make any claim to invention ofthe form thereof.

Side-boards 48, 49 and 50 are provided at the rear of the conveyer25 andon either side of the conveyer 27 respectively to prevent bundles ofbound grain falling off the sides of said conveyers. Thus far in thedescription provision has been made for inserting rake teeth beneathbundles of grain, either isolated or collected into shocks and receivesaid bundles on a horizontal conveyer, carrying said bundles by saidhorizontal conveyer to an elevating conveyer and carrying said bundlesto a point of delivery at the top of the elevating conveyer. It isintended that this machine shall be employed in conjunction with a wagonor other vehicle driven alongside of this machine and adapted to receivethe bundles from the delivery end of the elevating conveyer. It isdesirable, however, to provide means for insuring the delivery of thebundles of grain, either isolated or collected in shocks, upon thehorizontal conveyer 25. To this end, a reel is provided and said reel isconstructed and mounted as follows: A tube 51 is pivoted at its lowerend on the frame 12 and rises vertically therefrom outside the wing orapron 20. The tube 51 extends through a loop or bracket 52 on the apron20 and is adapted for oscillation in said loop. A rod 53 is mountedloosely in and telescopes relative to the tube 51 and an expansive coilspring 54 in said tube presses on and normally raises said rod (Fig. 8).A journal bearing is formed on the upper end portion of the rod 53 and areel shaft 54 is journaled at one end in said bearing. A toggle lever isprovided and one member 55 of said lever is pivoted at one end on abracket 56 on the frame 13. The other member 56 of the toggle lever isjoined at its lower end to the upper end of the first member and thejoint thereof is connected by a rod 57 to a manually-operated lever 58fulcrumed on the frame 13 adjacent the seat 24. The lever 58 1s ofconventional form and is provided with a segmental rack and detentdevices to hold said lever in any position in which it is placedmanually. The upper end portion of the member 56 of the toggle lever isforked and spread apart and each arm thereof is provided with journalbearings 56*, 56 to receive the inner end portion of the reel shaft 54and it also is connected by a rod 59 to a manually-operated lever 60fulcrumed on the frame 12 adjacent the seat 24. The lever 60, also ofconventional form, is provided with a segmental rack and detent devicesadapted to hold said lever in any position in which it may be adjustedmanually. A sprocket wheel 61 is mounted on the inner end portion of thereel shaft 54 between the arms of the forked member 56 and is connectedby a sprocket chain 62 to a sprocket wheel 63 on a short shaft 64 (Fig.7). The short shaft 64 is journaled in the arms of the forked member 56and also carries a bevel gear 65. A shaft is provided and formed of twomembers 66, 67. The member 66 is connected by a universal coupling 68 tothe short shaft 44 and is provided with a socket 69 angular in crosssection and adapted to receive a sliding engagement with the angular endportion of the member 67. The forward end portion of the shaft member 67is journaled in a bearing 70 carried by one of the arms of the forkedmember 56 and a bevel gear 71 is mounted on said shaft member and mesheswith the bevel gear 65, (Fig. 7 A reel 72 is mounted rigidly on the reelshaft 54 and is driven thereby. The motion of the short shaft 44 iscommunicated through the universal coupling 68, shaft member 66, socket69, shaft member 67, bevel gear 71, bevel gear 65, shaft 64, sprocketwheel 63, chain 62 and sprocket wheel 61 to the reel shaft 54, to theend of rotating said reel shaft and reel 72 thereon in the direction ofthe arow a in Fig. 3.

It is the function of the lever 60 to move the reel 72 and connectedparts forwardly and rearwardly to the machine on which it is carried andthe forward movement of said reel relative to the machine is resistedand the rearward movement thereof is assisted by a retractile coilspring 73 connecting the tube 51 to the apron 20. It is the function ofthe lever 58 and toggle lever connected thereto by the rod 67 to raiseand lower the reel shaft 54 and reel thereon to the machine on which itis carried by flexing the toggle lever to a greater or less degree. Ofcourse, flexing of the toggle lever lengthens and shortens the distancebetween said lever and the short shaft 44 and hence it is desirable tomake a connecting shaft of telescoping members 66, 67 as described. Theuniversal coupling 68 is employed because the short shaft 44 is inhorizontal position while the connecting shaft is in inclined position.In the operation of raising and lowering the reel shaft and reel, theexpansive spring 54 in the tube 51 balances the weight of the outerportion of the reel. Thus is provision made for insuring the delivery ofbundles of bound grain, either isolated or collected in shocks, from therake teeth 17 to the lateral conveyer 25,

I claim as my invention- 1. A grain loader, comprising, in combination,a wheeled frame, a longitudinal rake carried by said frame, said rakecomprising a plurality of teeth fixedly secured to a r0- tatable shaft,a crank shaft journaled parallel to said rotatable shaft, and havingsliding connections between its cranks and said teeth, means forrotating said crank shaft, to raise or lower said teeth, a reel locatedabove said rake, and means to revolve said reel.

2. A grain loader, comprising, in combination, a wheeled frame, alongitudinal rake carried by said frame, a horizontal conveyer and aninclined conveyer in communication with said rake, a plurality of cranksslidably connected to the teeth of said rake, whereby to adjust theirelevation, a reel mounted for vertical and longitiudinal adjustmentabove said rake, and means to regulate such adjustment.

Signed by me at Rowan, Iowa, this 14th day of August, 1907.

JOHN R. BRADEN.

Witnesses:

R. H. KEITH, J. WV. ALLEN.

